A look into the Andre Ward vs. Chad Dawson fight and the 168lb-175lb divisions by Bryan Bradley
By: Bryan Bradley
Amidst the controversy surrounding the questionable outcome of the Pacquiao vs. Bradley fight, the announcement of another championship fight was made during that pay per view telecast. Undefeated super middleweight champion Andre Ward will meet three-time light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson on September 8 at the weight limit of 168lbs. The fight will be televised on HBO World Championship Boxing.
Ward, a 2004 olympic gold medalist, is coming off a unanimous decision over Carl Froch to win Showtime’s acclaimed Super Six tournament. Dawson, having rebounded from a disappointing loss to Jean Pascal in August 2010, won a unanimous decision over Adrian Diaconu in Montreal on the undercard of Hopkins vs. Pascal II in May 2011. Following the win over Diaconu, Dawson scored a convincing majority decision over future hall of famer Bernard Hopkins in April to regain the light heavyweight championship.
Between the super middleweight and light heavyweight classes, the landscape is populated with an intriguing pool of talent who have spent the last three years facing one another in evenly matched bouts. Following Ward’s conquest of Froch in December 2011, Froch returned to prominence with an upset win over previously undefeated defending champion Lucian Bute to win the IBF super middleweight crown last month. The win over Bute made Froch a three-time super middleweight champion, throwing a monkey wrench into a potential matchup between Ward and Bute which would have been a highly anticipated title unification between two undefeated champions.
Former super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler, only twice defeated by the likes of Ward and Joe Calzaghe, proved he is still a force to be reckoned with when he stopped Allan Green inside four rounds last month. Kessler owns a decision victory over Froch from April 2010. Perhaps a rematch between those two proud pugilists will generate interest throughout the boxing world.
Undefeated IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud is scheduled to defend his title against former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal on August 11. Cloud is coming off a lackluster performance against unheralded challenger Gabriel Campillo, in which he retained his title by way of a highly controversial split decision this past February. Pascal has not seen action in the ring since he lost his title to Hopkins. Cloud vs. Pascal is another significant crossroads contest that advances the winner to bigger challenges with the rivals currently rated above them.
With all of the showdowns that have transpired, Ward vs. Dawson represents a showdown between the two best fighters at the combined super middleweight and light heavyweight limits. Each fighter is considered the legitimate world champion and number one contestant in their respective weight classes.This observer is suprised that Ward is not moving up to 175lbs to challenge Bad Chad for his light heavyweight champion.
Pound for Pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been known to define the definition of pound for pound as a fighter who can win titles in multiple weight classes and remain undefeated. By that standard, the fighter who calls himself the Son of God could probably polish his resume by winning the light heavyweight championship and becoming a two time world champion in two weight classes. Nonetheless, Ward vs. Dawson is a highly significant matchup, in which the victor could arguably propel himself into the ratings of the universally recognized top-five best pound for pound boxers in the world.
In a sport that has recently been marred by positive drug tests and career concluding injuries, we as boxing fans can only hope that Ward vs. Dawson is a fight that will come to fruition and happen this fall.
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